It is a challenging time to be a business owner right now, particularly if you’re the owner of a brick and mortar based, service or retail oriented establishment. With closures caused by social distancing mandates as we attempt to navigate a global pandemic, so many are struggling to know where to go from here when it comes to their businesses.
While you can’t control much about this situation, there are a few things you can. Now is the time to take care of all of those business processes and marketing strategies lack of time has had you pushing to the backburner for ages.
Most small business owners have those areas of their business that they wish they could do better—things they’ve been wanting learn, strategies they’ve been wanting to try, new technologies and systems they’ve wanted to integrate. Walk-in business may be slow or nonexistent which makes this the perfect time to reevaluate and reimagine what you do and how you can do it better for your clients going forward.
Work Smarter: 6 Things You Can Do Today to Build Business Tomorrow
Launch your social media pages.
When we talk to our members about their social media platforms, one of the most often heard explanations to explain lack of consistent engagement is time. So many small business owners are pressed for it and have little time to learn platform best practices, develop a social media strategy, or create engaging content.
Well, now is the time to learn!
The easiest way to get started on this journey is to join us for our Month of Learning and enroll in our Digital Marketing Webinars.
Hosted by our Digital Marketing Specialist, Amanda Rodriguez, this four-part series of courses is a great crash course for all small business owners eager to launch or enhance their social media marketing knowledge and strategies. The course is now enrolling and you don’t have to be a member of the Chamber to sign up: Digital Marketing Course Registration
Here are some other online options to help you learn:
- Hubspot’s step-by-step guide can help you get started with the process: Marketing Strategy Development: Step-by-Step Guide
- Wellspring Digital, a local digital marketing firm, shares this digital marketing faq for those curious about getting started: Digital Marketing FAQs
- Free online training for advertising on Facebook: Facebook Blueprint
Make time to network.
One of the greatest things about being a member of the Frederick business community is the support received from other business owners and members of the public. Our Business Card Exchanges and Coffee & Contact meetups may be on hiatus, but you can use your newly launched or invigorated social platforms to make some meaningful connections that will outlive this virus.
LinkedIn is a great place to start connecting to others in the local business community. Take some time to dust off your profile, update it, and think about strategic connections you can make to people in the community. Just remember, this isn’t about closing a deal right now, it’s about building relationships.
Develop your crisis plan.
Countless businesses were caught off guard without appropriate messaging or processes in place to deal with a disruption of business of this magnitude. What do you say to your employees? What do you say to your clients? How do you plan to move forward and reinstate business? Having a developed crisis communications plan helps you answer these questions and many more.
Read more: Important Crisis Communications Tips for You Business
Figure out your options.
If you, like so many other business owners, are facing financial hardship thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic response, you may also be feeling overwhelmed with the various support packages, resources, and services that have launched over the last few days.
Set aside some time to comb through what’s out there and determine if any of the options is going to be right for you. While the idea is to make the process of getting the help business owners need as easy as possible, some of them will still have lengthy applications that require documents you may have to dig up for substantiation purposes.
Take some time examining the resources and collecting your documents so that you can start applying for programs and aid that could help you.
This resource page is a great place to start to see what all is available for Frederick business owners: COVID-19 Resources Page
Connect with your community at-large.
People are doing great things to help the business owners of Frederick County. Take some time to get to know some of the people spearheading these efforts and see where you can lend a hand yourself.
Added bonus: the relationships you build now may translate into earning opportunities in the form of new customers in the future.
Stay in touch with your Chamber.
We have numerous outlets for communication and the Chamber staff, though working remotely, is easily accessible to our membership. We want to know what you’re struggling with and are working diligently to find solutions to the challenges our members are facing.
But we aren’t your only resource or support system through this storm. Your fellow members and many of our partners are here to help as well.
If you’re looking to connect with fellow members, please join our Chamber (members-only) Facebook Group (you must answer the questions to be admitted into the group).
If you want to connect with other local business owners, including those outside of the Chamber membership, this Facebook group is one to try: Supporting Frederick Small Businesses
Please make sure you also check out our COVID-19 resources page—it is updated daily, make sure you’re receiving the weekly Chamber newsletter, and follow our newly launched Shop Local Frederick Facebook page where we are promoting small businesses multiple
Frederick Chamber Insights is a news outlet of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. For more information about membership, programs and initiatives, please visit our website.
Member events featured here are taken directly from our member calendar.To be sure your events are included, please submit them into the calendar at least 10 days before the event day.